Anne-Marie Bastian and Nicholla Thompson, president and secretary of the newly-formed Environmental Awareness Association, are among hundreds of locals outraged by the approval of Firmus Technologies' AI data centre proposed for Bell Bay, which they say is less than two kilometres from their riverside community of Rowella.
Firmus Technologies has plans for three AI data centres in Tasmania's north. As well as the 288-megawatt centre approved with conditions by the George Town Council this week, a 104-megawatt facility is already under construction outside Launceston, and a development application has been submitted for a 52-megawatt centre in Wesley Vale, east of Devonport.
The association plans to challenge the council's decision in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT). After being formally notified of the decision, they have only 14 days to secure legal representation and raise what they estimate could be between $20,000 and $50,000 in costs.
"It's a ludicrous time frame given how long they had to put the application together and consider all of their options," Ms Bastian said. "I don't think it's fair at all but we'll make it happen."
Council assessed the proposal under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993. Mayor Greg Keiser said the council was bound by the planning scheme. "We can't see any other grounds to do anything more than to approve it in terms of the local planning scheme," he said.
Ms Bastian said the association would argue that using a 33-year-old law to measure something as "futuristic" as a data centre was inappropriate. Latrobe Mayor Peter Freshney, whose council area is west of George Town, echoed the concern. "We, as planning authorities, have to assess under an antiquated act [that is] unable to consider those things that primarily concern our constituents," Cr Freshney said. "It's not necessarily appropriate for development applications that are highly technical, as in the tech sector."
Some community members have threatened to sell their homes or not pay their rates.